Cycle B - Year I:  

10 January 2021: Feast of the Lord's Baptism

(Liturgical Color: White)

Readings:

First Reading:        Isaiah 55:1-11

Second Reading:   1 John 5:1-9

Gospel:  Please Read  Mark 1:7-11

"The Lord's Baptism: His mission begins!"

The Season of Christmas ends officially this Sunday with the celebration of the Feast of the Lord's Baptism.

Recall that last Sunday was the Solemnity of the Lord's Epiphany.  We reflected that the word "epiphany" literally means the manifestation or appearance of Jesus in human form as our Lord and King.

Well, today's Feast of the Lord's Baptism is like a second "epiphany", because in His baptism our Lord's identity as the Son of God is made known through the voice of God the Father Himself as He confirmed by the appearance of the Holy Spirit in bodily form of a dove.

In the Gospel narrative Jesus goes to be baptized by John the Baptist at the river Jordan.  The evangelist Mark wrote: "On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, 'You are my beloved Son; with whom I am well pleased'."  (Mk 1:10-11)

But now we ask: "Why did the Lord choose to be baptized by John the Baptist?"  Because we know, of course, that even in His humanity Jesus Christ was perfect and so He had no need to be cleansed and regenerated in the waters of baptism.

We found a good explanation on the Lord's Baptism in the writings of St. Maximus of Turin, who lived in the late fourth century.  St. Maximus tells us that "Christ was baptized not to be made holy by the waters of baptism but rather to make holy the waters of baptism and to purify these waters with His Body, so that all who would be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit would be cleansed of original sin, and be made adopted sons and daughters of the most high God.  In doing so, Christ has elevated baptism to the dignity of a sacrament."  Thus, Jesus descended into the River Jordan to sanctify its waters and to give them the power to beget sons of God.

Now, the baptism of our Lord Jesus marks the beginning of His public ministry and His mission as the Messiah that would change the world forever.  This event has important and practical implications for us as well in our own time.

So let us know and reflect on the significant effects of baptism in all baptized Christians.

Baptism is the first and most necessary sacrament for our salvation.  In baptism we are washed free of original sin inherited by all human beings (except the Blessed Mother) due to the fall of our first parents, Adam and Eve, as recorded in the Book of Genesis.

Many of the incidents which accompanied Christ's baptism are symbolical of what happened at our own Baptism.  At Christ's baptism the Holy Spirit descended upon Him; at our Baptism, the Holy Trinity took their abode in our soul. At His baptism Christ was proclaimed the "Beloved Son" of the Father; at our Baptism we became the adopted sons of God.  At Christ's baptism the heavens were opened; at our Baptism heaven was opened for us.  At His baptism, Jesus prayed; after our Baptism we need to pray to avoid actual sin.

There is another very important revelation made during the event of the Lord's Baptism.  From the very beginning of Jesus' public ministry God wants the world to know that His saving work is a united effort on the part of the Holy Trinity.  Because God is one, the three Persons always work in unison as well.  That is to say, that the Father sends us the Son to do His saving work in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Finally, the Feast of the Lord's Baptism reminds us that by our own baptism we commit ourselves to take active part in the mission of the Church to preach the Good News of God's kingdom in words and deeds.  In other words, our baptism is made alive in us when we live as true Christians at home, in the work place, and in fact wherever we are.

A blessed Feast of the Lord's Baptism to us all.  And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!